Toggle press



y 1959 A. J. WACHT 2,887,949

TOGGLE PRESS Filed A rils, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Til Z7 W in l 1: l f 24 n lllllll'lll ll 9 INVENTOR.

AA Msa/ J. Amos 7.

y 1959 A. J. WACHT I 2,887,949

TOGGLE PRESS Filed April 9. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. An/oesa/ J. wart/T A TTORI/EY United States Patent TOGGLE PRESS Andrew J. Wacht, Detroit, Mich. Application April 9, 1956, Serial No. 576,845

8 Claims. (CL 100-257) The object of the invention is to provide a device which may be employed as a self-sufiicient unit or as an attachment to an arbor press in order to convert the same into a toggle press. The press is designed for manual operation, the object of the invention being to provide a press which is capable of developing relatively high pressures on application of manual power. I

I shall now describe my press with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the elements being shown in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

press with some 2 ,887,949 Patented .May 26, .1959

I block and is attached thereto, intermediate its length,

by means of a bolt 32 which is threaded into said mem ber 30, as shown in Fig. 1.

Mounted upon the end portions of said rods, in an' op- V posed relation to each other, are two toggle levers, each Fig. 3 is a top elevational view of the press as viewed from line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional 'view on line 6-6 of Fig. '1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of a modified toggle press;

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view of said press;

Fig. 10 is a back view of the press as seen from line 10-10 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a top view of the press taken from line 1111 of Fig. 8; I

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on line 12-12 of Fig. 9.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The press includes a standard, generally marked 10, a part of the standard forming a horizontal table 11 for support of a conventional bolster plate which is not shown. The standard is of a type resembling a crane in which the upper portion forms a short jib 12 projecting over the table 11 and extending parallel thereto 3 Supported by said standard is a frame which consists of two vertical walls marked 13 and 14, respectively, the walls being disposed parallel to each other and being connected at the top by an integrally-formed horizontal member 15. The lower portions, 16 and 17, of therespective walls converge towards each other, the portion 16, which is an extension of wall 13, terminating with a vertical member 18 which is secured to the front end of the jib 12 by bolts 19. The lower portionv 17 of the wall 14 terminates with-a horizontal member 20 which is secured to the upper surface of the jib 12 by bolts 21. The frame is reinforced by vertical side plates. A pair of such plates 22 straddles the wall 13 and a part of the transverse member 15. Another pair of such plates 23 straddles the opposite wall 14 and a part of the transverse member 15.

Secured to the said member 15 by bolts 24, and disposed between the walls 13 and 14, is a solid block 25. The bolts are threaded into bores 26 in the block from above through oblong slots 27 in said member 15. [Each wall, 13 and 14, i'sprovided with a horizontal bore 28, and threaded through each bore towards said block is an adjusting screw 29. The screws bear against the block from oppositeends. As the slots 21 permit the being composed of two links, the upper one and the lower one. As the toggle levers are identical, I shall first describe the left lever in Fig. 1 in which the upper link 33 is provided at the top with two ears 34, each containing a circular bearing 35, the ears embracing the ends of said rods 30. Secured to one side of the link 33, and adapted to rotate about said rod 30, is a sector gear 36. Said sector gear is in mesh with a similar sector gear 36a which is secured to the upper link 33a of the opposite toggle lever and is adapted to be rotated about the other rod 30. Said link 33 is pivotally connected by means of a knuckle 37 to the complementary lower link marked 38. The corresponding lower link, joined by a knuckle to the upper link 3311: in the other lever, is marked 38a. Secured to the sector gear 36a is a handle 67w.

The two links 38 and 38a are pivotally connected at the lower ends to a rack-actuating assembly generally identified by numeral 39. 1 The assembly includes a heavy block having substantially the form of an inverted letter T in which the horizontal head is marked 40 and the vertical stem is marked 41. The head, which is rectangular, is equipped at each end, as shown in Fig. 1, with a horizontally-disposed cylindrical rod 42 which is kept in place by a screw 43 threaded into the rod from below through a vertical aperture 44 from a socket 45 in said head. It is to the end portions of one of said rods that the lower ends of the links 38 and 38a are connected by means of ears 46.

The stem is provided with a vertical slot 47 which extends from the top of'the stem downwardly through the head 40, the slot being rectangular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4. At one side the wall of the-stem 41 containsa recess 48 for reception of a back-up or friction plate49. Two adjusting screws 50, threaded through longitudinal bores in the wall of the stem, bear against the plate in the direction of the slot 47. Located in a recess 51 opposite the friction plate 40 is a verticaladjusting rack 52. Bearing against the upper end of the rack is an adjusting screw 53 which is threaded through a bore 54 in the end portion of the stem. Bearing against the lower end of the rack 52, called the short or adjusting'rack, is another adjusting screw.55 which is threaded to the vertical bore 56 on the lower portion of the head 40.

Disposed within the slot 47, for a vertical movement therein, is a rack 57, the teeth of which are in engagement with the teethof the adjusting rack 52. The lower end of the rack 57 is secured to a. rectangular presser plate 58. The connection between the rack and the plate is eifected by means of'a bolt 59 threaded -into a vertical bore -61 in the rack from the underside of the presser plate 58. It will be noted, on reference to Fig. 2, that therack 57 is connected to plate 58 atone side thereof; .At the opposite side the plate is connected by bolts 59a tothe lower ends of two auxiliary racks60.

Iournalled within the jib 12 in bearings 12a is a shaft 63 of a pinion 62, the shaft extending outwardly fromv aperture for reception of a handle 67. A similar sprocket wheel 65 is mounted upon a shaft 66 which at its ends is journalled in plate 68 which are mounted on the lower portion 23a of the respective plates 23. The shaft carries two pinions 69 for engagement with the respective vertical racks 60. The sprocket wheel 65 is connected to the sprocket wheel 64, by means of an endless chain 70. The sprocket wheels are of the same diameter. Similarly, pinion 62 is of the same diameter as pinion 69. Number 72 shows retaining rings at each end of the shaft 66.

The front portion of the jib 12 is slotted vertically, as shown at 73, for reception of the rack 57 which is kept in said slot by means of a retaining plate 74 bearing against said rack on the back side, that is, the side devoid of teeth.

The manner in which the press is to be used is as follows:

Normally, that is prior to the operative use of the toggle levers, the upper links 33 and 33a are disposed substantially horizontally. Such horizontal position of links 33a is shown in dotted lines 33b in Fig. 1. It will be understood that the other upper link 33 will also be in an analogous position. The lower links of 38 and 38a, respectively, extending at an acute angle from the upper links, as exemplified by dotted lines 38b, are joined at their respective lower ends to the rack actuating assembly generally identified by numeral 39.

It will be assumed that a die is located on the table 11 of the standard 10, that an object such as a sheet blank is placed on the die, and that a suitable complementary element of the die is attached to the underside of the presser plate 58. Such being the case it will be first necessary to adjust the vertical position of the ram in such a manner as to leave sufficient spacing between the two dies. For that purpose, adjusting screws 53 and 55, bearing from opposite ends against the rack 52 are loosened, and the rack is slipped laterally out of mesh with rack 57, which will permit the whole ram to be raised or lowered without affecting the position of the toggle links. This is effected by means of the handle 67 which fits into a diametrical slot in the shaft 63. Keyed to the shaft, as already stated herein, is a pinion 62 and a sprocket wheel 64, the pinion being in mesh with the rack 57. Furthermore, as also described herein, the sprocket wheel 64 is connected by means of a sprocket chain 70 to a sprocket wheel 65 which is mounted on shaft 66. Keyed to the same shaft 66 are the pinions 69 which are in mesh with the two other racks 60.

If, therefore, it is desired to raise or lower the Whole rann, which consists of said three racks and the bolster plate 58, all that needs to be done is to turn the shaft 63 by means of the handle 67. The ram, that is, the racks and the plate 58, will move up or down, as the case may be, without in any manner disturbing the toggle levers which will remain in positions shown in solid lines in Fig. 1.

When the ram, or more specifically the bolster plate, is at the desired height, the small rack 52 is again slipped into its place into engagement with rack 57, whereupon a more minute adjustment of the vertical position of the ram may be efiected by means of the adjusting screws 53 and 55. As the small rack is in mesh with rack 57, a lowering of the small rack 57 will result in lowering of the rack 57, and as a result thereof, also in the simultaneous lowering of the other two racks and the plate 58 itself. Conversely when the small rack is moved upwardly, the whole ram will also be moved to the same extent.

Assuming now that all the dies and the object to be formed by the dies are in place, the toggle mechanism is brought into play by a downward swing of handle 67a, causing the lower links 38 and 38a to bear downwardly against the rack-actuating assembly 39. This being locked to the rack 57, will be forced downwardly by the links, the two links of each toggle lever diverging from each other from the knuckle 37, till at the end of the movement they may be disposed in a straight line as shown in solid lines in Fig. l.

The drawing in Fig. 8 shows a simple arbor press ineluding a standard formed with a jib 81 which contains a pinion 82, adapted to be rotated on a horizontal shaft 83. Mounted upon the jib is a frame generally indicated by numeral 84, the frame being made of metal plate stock bent into a substantially U-shaped formation, said formation including two parallel walls 85, joined at the top by an integrally formed wall 86. The lower portions 87 of the side walls are brought closer to each other into abutment from opposite sides with the sides of the jib, and are connected thereto by means of bolts 88. Each of said lower portions includes also a flange 89, which is turned at right angle to the plane of the wall and in the direction of the flange extending from the lower portion of the opposite wall, as shown in Fig. 9. The two flanges are secured to a plate 90 which is disposed in a spaced relation to the end of the jib. It will be noted that the frame 84, as seen from one side of the press, is disposed at an angle with respect to the base of the press which is to be horizontal, so that the frame leans forwardly from the jib of the standard 80 and that the top wall 86 of the frame slants downwardly.

Secured to the underside of top wall 86 is a block 90. The block is kept in place by means of a bolt 91 which is threaded into the block from above through a slot 92, as shown in Fig. 11. The block, as shown in Fig. 12, is provided with a bore 93 extending parallel to the top wall 86, and threaded through said bore is a propeller screw 94 which is journalled at one end in bar 95 which joins the two side walls of the frame. The head 96 of the screw is provided with a cross-rod 97 for manual operation of said screw. Another screw, 98, journalled in a plate 99 disposed between said side walls 85 but at the opposite end of the block 90, has one end abutting against said block and serves as an additional means for the adjustment of the position of said block. Secured to the underside of the block 90, by means of a bolt 100, and disposed in a horizontal groove 101 in the underside of said block, is a cylindrical rod 102. Pivotally connected to the end portions of the rod are two laterally-spaced ears 103 of a link 104 which forms the upper member of a toggle lever generally identified by numeral 105. At the lower end the link is pivotally connected by a knee joint 106 to the upper end of the lower link 107 of said toggle lever. The link 107 is provided, at its lower end, with a pair of ears 108, the ears being pivotally connected to the outer ends of a horizontal rod 109 which is located in a horizontal groove 110 in a block 111.

The block contains a vertical slot 112, and slidingly disposed therein is a vertical rack 113. The teeth of the rack are in mesh with the teeth of a shorter rack, 114, which is also disposed in the same slot in a parallel relation to rack 113, and which is provided with a plurality of vertically-spaced apertures 115. Corresponding apertures 116 are located in the side walls of the slot, which walls straddle the rack 114, but said apertures 116 are in a different spacing than the apertures 115. The rack 114 is held in a selected vertical position within said slot by means of a transverse pin 118 which passes through one of said apertures 115 and through the alined apertures 116 in the wall of the slot.

The lower end of the rack 113 supports a presser plate 119 analogous to the presser plate 58 shown in Fig. 1.

The press shown in Fig. 8 works, generally, in the same manner as the press shown in Fig. 1, but includes certain novel features. One pertains to the mechanism for adjustment of the vertical position of the rack 113. It will be understood that the dies employed in the press may vary in thickness, and that the distance to which the ram may be forced down by the toggle levers alone, may

not be sufiicient to bring the ram into operative position with respect to the die on the bolster plate. It is therefore first necessary to adjust the vertical position of the ram to a suitable position to take advantage of the action of the toggle levers. This position may be called the initial operative position for said toggle levers. This preliminary vertical adjustment may be effected by means of the pinion 82 which is analogous to the pinion 62 shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

As the rack 113 is normally in mesh with the auxiliary rack 114, it is first necessary to disengage said two racks. This may be done by removing pin 118 which holds the rack 114 in place in slot 112. Once the two racks have been disengaged, the crack 113 may be raised or lowered by said pinion 82, which may be operated by any suitable means such as a crank or a radial handle used for the operation of said pinion 62. After the rack 113 has been moved to the initial operative position of the ram, the auxiliary rack is again brought into engagement with the rack 113, and while the pin 118 is still out, the two racks as a unit may be secured in place within the slot 112 by having the pin 118 thrust selectively into one of the pair of alined apertures 116. This would vary the vertical position of the rack 113 by the difference in the spacing between the apertures 115 in the rack and the spacing between the apertures 116 in the walls of the slot.

Another inventive feature pertains to means of shifting, upwardly or downwardly, the block 90 along the underside of the slanting top wall 86 of the frame. This is done by means of the propelling screw 94 threaded through said block 90 from one end thereof, and by means of the screw 98 hearing against the block from the other end. As it is the block to which the toggle lever is secured at the top, it is possible, by this upward or downward movement of the block, to vary the distance to which the toggle may force down the ram of the press. Thus, the abovedescribed manner of adjusting the position of the toggle lever and the means of adjusting the vertical position of the rack 113 may be used jointly to nicely adjust the extent of the lowest reach of the ram of the press.

Referring to both types of the press described herein, I Wish to point out that the toggle levers of the respective presses may be operated by power means.

What I, therefore, wish to claim is as follows:

- 1. A toggle press including a standard having a horizontally-disposed jib provided with a vertical aperture therein, a pinion mounted within the aperture, a frame mounted upon said jib, the frame being composedof a vertical structure including a horizontal top member, a ram including a head provided with a vertical slot therein, toggle lever means connected at one end to the top portion of the frame and connected at the lower end to the head, a main rack disposed within said slot and extending downwardly through the aperture in the jib for engagement with the pinion, a short rack contained within the head and having its teeth in engagement with the teeth of the main rack, means to vertically adjust the position of the short rack in said slot, a presser plate attached to the lower end of the main rack, and handle means to operate the toggle lever means to lower the ram to its pressureexerting position.

2. A toggle press including a standard having a horizontally-disposed jib provided with a vertical aperture therein, a frame mounted upon the jib, the frame being composed of a vertical structure including a horizontal top member, two toggle levers pivotally connected to the top member, each lever including an upper link and a lower link pivotally joined thereto, a ram including a horizontally-disposed head connected to the lower links, the head being provided with a vertical slot, a main rack disposed within said slot and extending downwardly through the aperture in the jib, a short rack contained within said head and being in mesh with the main rack, adjusting screws within the head to adjust vertically the position of the short rack, a presser plate attached to the lower end of the main rack, and handle means to operate the toggle levers to lower the head with the main rack into its operative pressure-exerting position.

3. A toggle press including a standard having a horizontally-disposed jib provided with a vertical aperture therein, a pinion mounted for rotation about its horizontal axis within an open space in the jib and having its teeth projecting into the aperture, a frame mounted upon the jib, the frame having the shape of an inverted letter U and including two side walls and a transverse top member, two toggle levers secured to the top portion of the frame, each lever including an upper link and a lower link in an end-to-end pivotal connection to each other, a ram including a head connected at its opposite ends to the lower ends of the lower links, the ram having a vertical slot therein, a main rack disposed within the slot and extending downwardly into the aperture in the jib for engagement with the pinion mounted therein, a short rack within the head in engagement with the teeth of the main rack, screw means to adjust the vertical position of the short rack and to lock, thereby, the main rack in its vertical position, a presser plate secured to the lower end of the main rack beneath said jib, handle means to operate the pinion, and proper means to operate the toggle levers to alternately lower the ram into its pressure-exerting position and to lift it upwardly from said position.

4. A toggle press including a standard having a horizontally-disposed jib provided with a single vertical aperture at the outer or front end thereof, a plurality of similar vertical apertures spaced rearwardly from said single aperture, a pinion mounted within the front portion of the jib and having its teeth projecting into said single aperture, a frame mounted upon the jib, the frame having the shape of an inverted letter U and including two side walls and a transverse top member, two toggle levers secured to the top portion of the frame, each lever including an upper link and a lower link in an end-to-end pivotal connection to each other, a ram including a head connected at its opposite ends to the lower ends of the lower links, the ram having a vertical slot therein, a main rack disposed within the slot and extending downwardly into the aperture in the jib for engagement with the pinion mounted therein, a short rack within the head in engagement with the teeth of the main rack, screw means to adjust the vertical position of the short rack and to lock, thereby, the main rack in its vertical position, a plurality of pinions mounted upon a common horizontal shaft journalled in the rear portion of the frame, sprocket wheel and chain means connecting the shaft of said pinions with the shaft of the pinion mounted in the front portion of the jib, and a vertical rack in mesh with each of the pinions mounted on the common shaft, all the racks passing through the apertures in the jib being at their lower ends connected to a common presser plate, handle means to operate the pinion at the front portion of the jib, and handle means to operate the toggle levers to lower the ram into its pressure-exerting position or to lift it upwardly from said position. 1

5. A toggle press including a standard having a horizontally-disposed jib provided with a vertical aperture, a pinion mounted within the jib and adapted to rotate about its horizontal axis, the pinion having its teeth projecting into said aperture, a frame mounted upon the jib, the frame having a transverse top member, a pair of opposed toggle levers secured to the upper portion of the frame, each lever being composed of an upper link pivotally secured to said upper portion of the frame, a sector gear secured to the upper link for rotation therewith about the axis of the pivotal connection of said upper link to the frame, the sector gear of one upper link being in mesh with a similar sector gear of the other upper link, a lower link in each toggle lever, the lower link being in an end-to-end pivotal connection with the lower end of the upper link, a ram including a horizontally-disposed head, the head being at each end pivotally connected to the lower ends of the lower links, the ram having a vertical slot therein, a main rack disposed within the slot and extending downwardly into the aperture in the jib for engagement with the pinion therein, a presser plate secured to the lower end of the main rack, an adjusting rack within the slot in said head, the adjusting rack being in a parallel position with the main rack and in engagement with the teeth thereof, means to vary the vertical position of the adjusting rack and, thereby, to adjust the vertical position of the main rack within the head, handle means to rotate the pinion, and handle means to operate the toggle levers to lower the ram into its pressure-exerting position or to lift it upwardly from said position.

6. A toggle press including a standard having a horizontally-disposed jib provided with a single vertical aperture at the outer or front end thereof, a plurality of similar vertical apertures spaced rearwardly from said single aperture, a pinion mounted within the front portion of the jib and having its teeth projecting into said single aperture, a frame mounted upon the jib, the frame having the shape of an inverted letter U and including two side walls and a transverse top member, two toggle levers pivotally secured to the top portion of the frame in opposed relation to each other, each lever including an upper link at one end pivotally secured to said frame and carrying, at said end, gear means in mesh with the gear means of the other lever, and a lower link in end-to-end pivotal connection with the upper link, a ram including a head connected at its opposite ends to the lower ends of the lower links, the ram having a vertical slot therein, a main rack disposed within the slot and extending downwardly into the aperture in the jib for engagement with the pinion mounted therein, a short rack within the head in engagement with the teeth of the main rack, means to adjust the vertical position of the short rack and to lock, thereby, the main rack in its vertical position, a plurality of pinions mounted upon a common horizontal shaft journalled in the rear portion of the frame, sprocket wheel and chain means connecting the shaft of said pinions with the shaft of the pinion mounted in the front portion of the jib, and a vertical rack in mesh with each of the pinions mounted on the common shaft, all the racks passing through the apertures in the jib being at their lower ends connected to a common presser plate, handle means to operate the pinion at the front portion of the jib, and proper means to operate the toggle levers to lower the ram into its pressure-exerting position or to lift it upwardly from said position.

7. A toggle press including a standard having a horim zontally-disposed jib provided with a vertical aperture therein, a pinion mounted within the aperture, a frame mounted upon said jib, the frame being composed of a vertical structure including a slanting top wall to form an incline, a block secured to the underside of the wall for a sliding movement therealong upwardly or downwardly, means to adjust the position of the block and to lock it against said movement, a ram including a head provided with a vertical slot therein, toggle lever means connected at one end to the block and connected at the lower end to the head, a main rack disposed within said slot and extending downwardly through the aperture in the jib for engagement with the pinion, a short rack contained Within the head and having its teeth in engagement with the teeth of the main rack, means to vertically adjust the position of the short rack in said slot, a presser plate attached to the lower end of the main rack, and means to operate the toggle lever means to lower the ram to its pressure-exerting position.

8. A toggle press including a standard having a horizontally-disposed jib provided with a vertical aperture therein, a pinion mounted within the aperture, a frame mounted upon said jib, the frame being composed of a vertical structure including a slanting top wall forming an incline, a block secured to the underside of the wall for a sliding contact therewith, screw means to adjustably move the block upwardly or downwardly along said incline, a ram including a head provided with a vertical slot therein, toggle lever means connected at one end to the block and connected at the lower end to the head, a main rack disposed within said slot and extending downwardly through the aperture in the jib for engagement with the pinion, a short rack contained within the head and having its teeth in engagement with the teeth of the main rack, means to vertically adjust the position of the short rack in said slot, 1a presser plate attached to the lower end of the main rack, and means to operate the toggle lever means to lower the ram to its pressure-ex erting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS been. 

